The Republic Archives: 1152 Edition
by Good Hunter Jimmy
Summary: A companion piece to "Star Wars Episode I: The Looming Force" by GoodHunterAnais and Slippin Jimmy. This is a collection of in-universe encyclopedia entries for our alternate Star Wars prequel trilogy. May contain spoilers for "Star Wars Episode I: The Looming Force." You can find a link to the main story by visiting the author page for this joint account (Good Hunter Jimmy).
1. Archive Entries: A-H

**The Republic Archives  
Selected Entries from the 1152 Edition **

* * *

**Ablative Armor**

Ablative plating is an inexpensive material used as armor against blaster fire. It consists of a microscopic latticework of energy-dissipating synthetic fibers laid against a heat-resistant plate. When struck by blaster fire, the latticework melts away, preventing whatever is armored from taking the brunt of the shot. Ablative armor is not reusable, and must be replaced or restored after it has taken too many hits.

Ablative armor was initially intended for use by Republic infantry troops as a cost-saving measure to replace personal deflector shields. However, the weight of the armor combined with the potential cost of restoring it between every military skirmish saw the project sidelined. Ablative plating instead found a new life in the starship manufacturing industry.

Ship deflector shield generators are heavy, expensive, and draw massive amounts of energy. For starships that are unlikely to see combat, ablative plating is a far more sensible defense option. It draws no power and only requires maintenance if it is actually hit by blaster fire. Most civilian vessels, and even some military shuttles, are equipped with ablative armor.

* * *

 **Aggressive Reconnaissance-170 Heavy Starfighter**

The Incom/Subpro Aggressive Reconnaissance-170 (ARC-170) heavy starfighter is the latest addition to the fighter arsenal of the Republic Defense Force. The vessel is designed to fill the role between the lumbering BTL Y-wing bomber and the lightly armored, more maneuverable Z-95 Headhunter. The fighter is heavily armed and armored, and features a hyperdrive and room for multiple crew; a squadron of ARC-170s is intended to be capable of running an operation without the use of a carrier or capital ship.

Despite this, no ARC-170 squadron in the Defense Force is currently fully staffed. Each fighter seats three, yet most squadrons only have a single pilot flying every ship. Early production problems caused the craft to suffer a slow rollout, which in turn delayed training. Z-95 pilots complain that the craft is sluggish to fly, and many refuse to transfer from the Headhunter fighters they currently use. The need to recruit and train several entirely new pilots has caused the ARC-170's first year of service to closer resemble a limited test run.

* * *

 **Alderaan**

The Core World of Alderaan is a wealthy planet; and a destination for connoisseurs of art, music, wine, and culture. It is also one of the premier providers of armaments for the Republic Defense Force. The weapons and armor that are exported from Alderaan are as elegant and striking as the architecture found in its major cities.

The military technology of Alderaan is exclusively an export; the citizens of the planet live peacefully, and those who do not serve in a military capacity do not own weapons themselves. Even the local police often patrol without firearms. Nevertheless, opponents within the Republic see Alderaan's position as a threat. There exists a faction in the Senate which feels Alderaan holds too much power due to the Republic's reliance on their weapon and armor manufacturing. This group has pushed to disarm Alderaan and have its armaments spread more evenly across major Republic worlds, though any such legislation is unlikely to pass during the current Chancellor's term.

Notable figures hailing from the world of Alderaan include Bail Organa, Chancellor of the Galactic Senate, and Obi-Wan Kenobi, a prominent general in the Republic Defense Force.

* * *

 **Alderaanian Amberwing Dove**

The amberwing dove is native to, and the national bird of, the planet Alderaan. It can be found in most temperate regions of the planet, nesting in trees along the coastline of Alderaan's many lakes. It is named for the underside of its wings, which consist of amber-colored feathers that reflect the light of Alderaan's picturesque sunsets.

Amberwing doves are protected by law; the Royal House forbids capturing the creatures to keep as pets, and killing a young amberwing dove carries a hefty fine. However, collecting the feathers of one—provided they were shed naturally—is perfectly legal, and the reflective underwing feathers are a popular souvenir for tourists visiting Alderaan.

Selected as the national bird hundreds of years ago to symbolize the planet's peaceful nature, the amberwing dove has recently been adopted as a logo by the political party which wishes to see a return to the "good old days"—a time when Alderaan did not manufacture weapons and armor for the Republic.

* * *

 **Auditory Simulator**

In the early days of space warfare, it was discovered that the silence of space was extremely disorienting to pilots. A ship—whether friend or foe—streaking by the cockpit without making a sound was considered incredibly frustrating, and pilots of starfighters and other small ships reported frequently losing their bearings while in flight.

To alleviate this issue, auditory simulators were integrated into the cockpits of combat vessels. These devices worked in tandem with a ship's sensor package to create a suite of sounds that matched the events outside the ship's viewport. Passing vessels, the firing of laser cannons, and distant explosions were now accompanied by audio feedback.

Auditory simulators are now a standard component of every starship. Simulator banks are filled with approximations of real-world sounds. Certain weapons, such as the devastating seismic charge, can temporarily disrupt auditory simulators, causing them to "blank out" for a handful of seconds before simulating the explosive shockwave of the charge. A common prank among pilots involves replacing all the sounds in a wingmate's auditory simulator databank with humorous nonsense. This is completely harmless and easily reversed, as auditory simulator databanks can update on the fly by downloading data from other nearby ships.

* * *

 **Cave Crawlers**

Legendary monstrosities referred to by the locals as "cave crawlers" prowl the darker corners of Had Abaddon's cave networks. Local biologists speculate that they evolved on the planet's surface in a past age when the climate was more hospitable to organic life, fleeing to their current subterranean home when conditions above ground became intolerable.

Averaging 2 meters in height and ranging anywhere from 2-5 meters in length, the crawlers are insectile, roaming the caverns on eight limbs. Their eyes, which presumably had a function once upon a time, are now milky white and blind; they hunt via sound, the chittering made by their mandibles a form of echolocation.

When miners came to Had Abaddon in force, they drove the crawlers from most of the surface caverns. They now exist only in the lower depths—those explorers foolhardy enough to explore these areas tend not to return.

* * *

 **The Clone Army**

The clone army has no identifiable goal, no constitution or manifesto. Shadowy figures lead it, but the rank and file are the same few beings recreated thousands of times over. Where the Confederacy gathered the resources for such a creation, and who was fabulously wealthy enough to pay for it, remains unknown. One thing is clear: the clones and their masters have an all-consuming vendetta against the Republic.

Clone soldiers are believed to be artificially aged in order to meet the rate of turnover necessitated by their violent profession. A byproduct of this process seems to be mental instability, which manifests itself most horribly in their suicide blitzes on enemy starships. No clone soldier has ever been captured alive; it seems there's a deadman's switch embedded in each individual trooper's skull, one that's not implanted but grown there. If a clone is captured by the Republic, his head eats itself apart. If he's recovered by his own, he is recycled, ground into fuel for weapons or sent back to his masters for research.

* * *

 **Compression Coil**

When flying through deep space, it's best that no engine parts break, but chief among those parts is the compression coil. A relatively small device, it controls the output of coolant into the inner workings of a ship's sublight and hyperdrive engines, preventing catastrophic meltdowns that would otherwise incinerate the spacecraft. It's possible for a ship to fly at very slow speeds with a damaged or absent coil, but not for long.

Unfortunately for pilots and engineers the galaxy over, the compression coil is one of the engine parts that most easily breaks. It's recommended that long space flights carry at least one backup in case of emergencies, and a dedicated patching kit if that's not possible.

* * *

 **Corellian Slip**

The "Corellian Slip" is a popular nickname for an aerobatic space combat maneuver used when a starfighter pilot cannot shake a pursuing enemy craft. In the maneuver, their wingman or another member of the squadron flies headfirst at their fellow pilot, "slipping" to the side at the last second to shoot—and hopefully destroy—their squadmate's pursuer.

As the legend goes, the Corellian Slip was invented by a street criminal in the city of Coronet. Working as a getaway driver, he would use the slip maneuver in his landspeeder to assist his crew in evading police pursuit. The maneuver was eventually translated into space combat, where it remains in use to this day.

Though somewhat simple to use in the vacuum of space, the Corellian Slip is extremely difficult to perform in thick atmospheres. The smooth drifting required on the part of the oncoming pilot is simply not possible under high air resistance. A variation of the maneuver, the Inverted Corellian Slip, instead sees the other pilot in the equation—the one being pursued by the enemy—snap-rolling out of the way at the last second to give their squadmate a clear shot.

The Inverted Corellian Slip is far more difficult than the standard maneuver, as it requires immense amounts of coordination and trust between pilots as well as comparatively fast reflexes. It is technically "banned" by the Republic Defense Force Starfighter Corps—squadron leaders are authorized to write up any pilot who performs the Inverted Slip during training or combat.

* * *

 **Coruscant**

Coruscant is the capital of the Galactic Republic, a major trade and transport hub, and undoubtedly the most populous planet in the galaxy. Nearly its entire surface is covered in one interconnected cityscape; the layers and unique districts of this "duracrete jungle" have been slowly constructed over thousands of years.

Due to its position along the intersection of several major hyperspace routes, Coruscant has been the capital of galactic civilization for nearly all of recorded history. Though it is technically several thousand light years from the galactic core, the standard galactic coordinate system marks Coruscant as the center point on the map.

Coruscant is extremely well defended at all times. A massive planetary shield and a sizable complement of _Venator_ -class Star Destroyers protect the planet from outside invasions. The citizens of Coruscant do not fear galactic war, as they assume that it would be impossible for even the most well-equipped of invaders to take the planet. History is on their side; Coruscant has never successfully been captured by a military invasion. It has only changed hands as the result of diplomatic agreements or treaties.

* * *

 **The Coruscant Underworld**

Skyscrapers and towering megastructures ensure that the surface of the planet Coruscant sits untouched by natural light. Beneath each distinct district of the planet, unique cultures of perpetual nightlife have formed. The most famous of these is "the Underworld," the surface region beneath Coruscant's capital city. The government and police, for the most part, dare not venture into these lower levels. Territory is instead controlled by various gangs, and sections of the Underworld change hands constantly as a result of turf wars. The economy is fueled by illicit activity. Drugs can be purchased over the counter at most Underworld cantinas and bars, and it is common to find people on the street openly offering their services as an assassin.

Many residents of the upper levels question why someone would ever choose to live in the Underworld. The most common answer is that it is extremely cheap. Housing is often free, as there are thousands of abandoned apartments available at any time, and squatter's rights are respected in the Underworld. Employment is also not hard to come by, as any given city block has over a dozen bars, all of which are constantly hiring dancers, bartenders, and bouncers.

However, this does not mean the Underworld is safe for everyone. Many upper city residents who are down on their luck will try to make it in the Underworld. Some will also venture down to the Underworld as a thrill-seeking measure when they find themselves bored of the high-class establishments most of Coruscant has to offer. This has a tendency not to end well; upper city residents who venture down to the Underworld are statistically likely to return home in a body bag.

* * *

 _ **Dictat**_ **-Class Battle Cruiser**

The _Dictat-class_ Battle Cruiser is a medium-sized capital ship used by the clone forces. Measuring just under a kilometer from stem to stern, it shares none of the aesthetic concerns displayed by its Republic equivalent, the _Victory_ -class Star Destroyer; it is in effect a series of flying rectangles. What it lacks in beauty it makes up in firepower—it carries ten quad turbolaser batteries, fifty double turbolaser batteries, and forty proton torpedo tubes, as well as a starfighter complement.

The simple nature of the _Dictat_ -class's design is advantageous for the clone army, which lacks a centralized shipyard. The ships do not require any specialized dry-dock facility like the Star Destroyers of the Republic; they can simply be assembled in deep space.

The class's inaugural ship, the _Dictat_ , was constructed by cold-welding several shipping containers together, affixing engines to the rear of the structure, and carving out interior rooms. Though the construction process has become more refined, the aesthetics of the _Dictat-_ class remain the same. Known as the death-box by its enemies, the _Dictat_ -class is ugly, cheap, and effective.

* * *

 **Disruption Flare**

The power pack of a blaster is unlikely to run out in the middle of a firefight. Most power packs can fire several hundred rounds before needing to be replaced. In a shootout, heat maintenance is a much higher concern. Firing a blaster too quickly will cause it to "lock up" until it can dissipate the waste heat it has generated.

The disruption flare is designed to cause enemy blasters to lock up. When activated, it sends out a pulse of energy in all directions. This radiation is harmless to sentient life forms, but is enough to overload the firing components of a blaster. This causes the gun's safety mechanism to believe it has overheated and enter a venting phase. In this venting phase, the gun cannot be fired for several seconds.

However, disruption flares are not foolproof. They do not actually overheat a blaster, but simply trick the gun into thinking it has overheated. Thus, it is possible to make a blaster immune to disruption flares by disconnecting its safety mechanism. Doing so is dangerous; the risk of injury during the disconnection process is extremely high, and blasters with no overheat safety can quickly reach dangerous temperatures while in use.

* * *

 **Electroshock Net Cartridge**

The electroshock net cartridge is a small plastic cylinder containing a bundle of highly conductive filaments and a single-use power cell. When fired from a specialized type of pistol colloquially referred to as a "stun gun," the electroshock net cartridge acts as a long-range method of incapacitating a potential attacker by disrupting muscle functions via electric charge.

Upon impact, the cartridge releases the bundle of filaments contained within, forming a "net" around the target. The power cell then discharges, delivering a painful jolt of electricity. Stun guns are commonly carried as self-defense weapons by those uncomfortable carrying a lethal blaster. They are also issued to police forces, and electroshock cartridge launchers are sometimes attached to military weapons for use as a non-lethal backup option of dealing with targets.

Attempts have been made to do away with stun guns and cartridge launcher attachments, and instead integrate a stun function into blasters themselves. However, the technology faces significant barriers. Integrated cartridge launchers are too bulky and must be reloaded after every shot. "Stun beam" technology is currently in development, but has not seen widespread release due to its tendency to short out. This has the unfortunate result of either frying the rest of the blaster's components, or backfiring and stunning the user instead of the target.

* * *

 **Electrostave**

The electrostave is a melee weapon designed to discharge harmful bursts of energy into opponents. The electrostave's distinguishing feature is its dual-tipped nature—it is a lengthy staff gripped in the center, with electrical emitters at both ends. A jolt from an electrostave is not lethal, merely painful. However, repeated hits from the weapon have been known to cause cardiac arrest or temporary paralysis in targets.

The double-sided nature of the electrostave makes it extremely difficult to wield successfully; an inexperienced user is just as likely to shock themselves as they are an opponent. It is considered flashy and impractical by many users of melee weapons when compared to a vibrosword or force pike. They are therefore not in widespread use throughout the galaxy. Nevertheless, some still swear by them; electrostaves are perhaps most well-known for being wielded by the referees of the fighting pits on Nar Shaddaa.

* * *

 **Escape Pod**

Space travelers hope the worst never comes, but when it does, they make sure to carry enough lifeboats to get to safety. Escape pods are extremely short-range spacecraft designed to carry a few inhabitants to safety from a disabled or endangered ship.

Typically, pods are fired by explosive bolts—they carry no fuel of their own and are not capable of controlled flight. Those who use them are advised to do so only when in range of an inhabited planet's gravity well or a nearby rescue vessel. Spacers frequently tell horror stories of those who left their stranded ships in an escape pod only to find themselves on the surface of a deadly wasteland—or, worse, floating endlessly through the far reaches of space.

* * *

 **The Force**

The galaxy's self-appointed "guardians of peace and justice" seem to possess a power to manipulate the physical world and influence the minds of others. The Jedi Order attributes this power to what they call the "Force," a mystical energy field connecting every living thing in the universe.

Outside of the Jedi Order, theories abound as to what this Force actually is. Some believe the Jedi to be telling the truth. Though these individuals do not display any powers of the Jedi themselves, they have nevertheless formed the Church of the Force. This religious movement enjoys some popularity in the Mid and Outer Rim regions, and its members are dedicated to promoting values such as peace, serenity, and balance through the worship of this so-called Force.

In the Core regions of the galaxy, where organized religion is far less common, skepticism abounds. Many explanations for what a Jedi's "Force powers" actually consist of can be found across the holonet. Some critics decry the Jedi as master manipulators who essentially perform elaborate stage illusions. Still others, such as noted anti-Jedi critic Krilo Varansi, explain away Jedi abilities as being tricks of technology. Telekinesis, Varansi suggests in his book "The Cybernetic Jedi," is achieved with implanted tractor beam projectors. The book also posits that the Jedi's supposed mind control powers are achieved via dispersal of airborne mind-affecting drugs.

* * *

 **The Galactic Confederacy**

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* * *

 **The Galactic Senate: Elections and Terms**

The Galactic Senate operates on a five-year cycle. Every fifth year, senators and those wishing to become senators campaign on worlds all across the Republic in the hopes of winning their planet's senator selection process. All the while, behind the scenes, a second election is brewing. Within the Senate halls, deals are made and favors are traded as a handful of senators campaign for the role of Supreme Chancellor.

Any candidate for Chancellor could theoretically lose their place in the Senate during the upcoming public election. Thus, the most popular Chancellor candidates are typically senators with years of experience, very secure seats, and a high likelihood of winning their reelection campaigns. Inexperienced senators do not generally bother making a bid for Chancellor, much less find themselves victorious in doing so.

The vote for Chancellor is held in the first session of a new Senate, and is conducted in an instant runoff format, with each senator ranking their top six Chancellor candidates. The winner is sworn in the following day.

Senators and the Chancellor share the same term length of five years, although the Chancellorship carries with it a three-term limit. A position in the Senate carries no such limits on length. Opponents of this policy argue that it unfairly favors longstanding incumbents, though no real effort has been made to change the rule.

* * *

 **The Galactic Senate: Planetary Senate Elections**

Though instant runoff elections are the standard way of appointing a planet's senator, not every planet selects their representative via the same process. The Constitution of the Galactic Republic has several templates by which new member planets can choose to operate, but many worlds forgo these suggestions in favor of an election method which respects their tradition.

For example, the senator from Trandosha is chosen by a tournament of hand-to-hand combat. Each election year, the incumbent senator returns to their home planet to face the winner of the tournament. The victor is appointed to the Galactic Senate. In ancient Trandoshan history, these tournaments to select a leader were deathmatches; the Corellia Conventions forbid this, and Trandosha has adjusted their combat tournaments accordingly.

On Alderaan, the senator selection process honors the planet's history as a monarchy. A member of the royal family (other than the current monarch) runs for the planet's Senate seat, and by tradition they do so unopposed on the ballot. This echoes Alderaan's past, where leaders were simply appointed or born into ruling roles. The direct appointment of senators is forbidden in the Constitution, though Alderaan's roundabout way of "appointing" a senator technically is not.

* * *

 **Geckar Outfitters Survivalist Campsite Supply Kit**

The Geckar Outfitters Survivalist Campsite Supply Kit, more commonly referred to as "The GO Bag," is a popular product among spacers, traders, and explorers. The kit is based off the Republic Defense Force's Emergency Shelter Pack, and is intended as a compact and lightweight solution for camping and survival on a variety of habitable worlds.

The kit includes self-inflating pillows, reflective blankets, compact bedrolls, and a collapsible tent for the purpose of constructing a campsite. There are also ration bars, powdered drinks, and energy paste. The kit's most famous component is the patented "Canned Fire," a disc-shaped can that creates a campfire when punctured.

The kit is sold in a sealed and compressed package, intended only to be opened when all of its components are actually needed. However, on less settled worlds, it is common for merchants to open the kits and sell the items individually at a markup. Geckar Outfitters has condemned this practice, but outside of Republic space there is little they can do to enforce their wishes. Piecemeal "GO Bags" are a common sight in the Outer Rim, and it is not unusual to find a single self-inflating pillow or a lone Canned Fire rolling loosely at the bottom of a smuggler's knapsack.

* * *

 **Had Abbadon**

The world of Had Abbadon is the fourth planet of the Had system, which lies near the outer edge of the Mid Rim. It was first settled over 400 years ago when explorers found an underground lake of fluid extremely similar to bacta. A "gold rush" to exploit the fluid fizzled out as quickly as it began when it was discovered the fluid was not nearly as effective as bacta at healing injuries. Now, the fluid is mostly used by local doctors as a cheap bacta alternative for treating minor wounds.

Though the surface of Had Abbadon is technically habitable, its harsh conditions ensure only the poorest of residents live on the many small communities dotting the landscape. The upper layer of the atmosphere is known to wreak havoc on communications, and anyone wishing to send a message offworld must pay to use one of several signal-boosting towers erected on the surface by the well-to-do communities of Had Abbadon's cave system.

Beneath Had Abbadon's crust, a network of caves and dried up riverbeds snake together to form a massive maze. This is where the majority of Had Abbadon's population lives, although cost of living is much higher in the underground settlements. Over the centuries, communities have formed in certain sections of the cave network, only to later abandon their settlements and move on. These "ghost caverns" are the subject of many local legends, and there are a handful of HoloNet sites dedicated to the mythology of the creatures that supposedly lurk in the oldest tunnels.

* * *

 **The Hapes Cluster**

The sector of space known as the Hapes Cluster is a massive grouping of star systems located in the Inner Rim between Tanaab and Onderon. The star systems of the Cluster are densely packed, impeding hyperspace navigation. For centuries, the dozens of worlds contained within the Hapes Cluster remained unexplored by the Republic; no ship that entered the cluster ever made it back out.

First contact with the Hapans, the cluster's native sentient species, occurred only 40 years ago. The Hapes Consortium, the governing body of the Cluster, still remains politically separated from the Republic. The culture of the region is extremely isolationist, and no one has ever seen a Hapan outside of the Hapes Cluster. Though it is now possible to safely travel in and out of the Cluster—provided one uses a sufficiently advanced navicomputer—it is still rarely visited by Republic citizens.

The under-explored nature of this sector of space has birthed many myths and legends about what is contained within. Beautiful women, endless riches, gorgeous landscapes, and free-flowing alcohol are all said to be abundant on the capital world of Hapes. It is considered by many to be a heavenly paradise locked away among the stars. Those who venture in to the cluster still tend not to return; whether this is by choice is unknown, but it only fuels speculation about what may lie inside the Hapes Cluster.

* * *

 **Holonet**

The Hyperspace Information, Communication, and Relay Network Act established the creation of what is now called the holonet. It is a free and open communications network maintained, but not controlled, by the Galactic Republic. Republic member systems, independent worlds, and outlaw ship crews alike all make use of this method of near-instantaneous intergalactic communication.

All civilized planets and star systems contain holonet "nodes" which send packets of data into space. For deep-space operation away from settled worlds, most starships and starfighters are also outfitted with holonet nodes. When a message is ready to be sent across the holonet, a node will bounce the data to a holonet port. This port then tight-beams the data into hyperspace, where it can be received by any number of other holonet ports before being delivered to the holonet node nearest its intended recipient.

Across the galaxy, this process occurs hundreds of millions of times per second, whether for the purpose of sending a point-to-point message or looking up information stored in one of the Republic's digital "libraries" such as this one.

The decentralized mesh network of holonet nodes and ports is nearly impossible to hack, infiltrate, or bring down. Communications disruption is still possible, and involves flooding a system's holonet nodes with "junk" data so that actual calls and communications cannot get through. To avoid falling victim to this in a time of war, the Republic Defense Force maintains a secondary priority network of nodes and ports only accessible with special equipment.

* * *

 **Hyperdrive Classification**

As hyperdrive technology evolved and became more advanced, a classification system to differentiate hyperdrives was deemed necessary. The hyperdrive class system rates any given hyperdrive against the theoretical ideal: a Class One. A ship equipped with a Class Three hyperdrive, for example, will take three times as long to travel a given distance as a ship equipped with a Class One might take.

When the classification system was invented, Class One was a theoretical maximum: the nonexistent "fastest possible hyperdrive" that all other hyperdrive classes became based around. Since then, Class One hyperdrives have been constructed in laboratory conditions, though they have not yet been installed on an actual starship. The fastest ships in the Republic Defense Force use Class Two hyperdrives; most civilian vessels are equipped with Class Three or Four hyperdrives.

* * *

 **Hyperlanes**

Hyperlanes are predetermined routes through hyperspace that connect explored star systems. Travel through hyperspace is inherently dangerous, and mapped hyperspace routes that are known to be relatively safe help mitigate the risks that this form of transportation carries.

Despite the existence of hyperlanes, navicomputers are still needed for safe hyperspace travel. A hyperlane route is imprecise, and simply considered a guide to point travelers in the right direction. Navicomputers refine the route of a hyperspace jump, accounting for the movement of stars, planets, and other objects throughout space. Successful hyperspace jumps have been made without the assistance of a navicomputer, relying only on the loose guidance of a hyperlane. However, modern space vehicles have safety measures in place to prevent pilots from attempting this.

The job of mapping hyperlanes is extremely risky. The Galactic Republic employs a band of highly skilled astronavigators to both maintain current hyperlanes—that is, verify they are still safe to use—and map new ones. The job pays extremely well, but a few times each year an astronavigation voyage will depart on an uncharted hyperspace jump and never be heard from again.

* * *

 **Hyperspace Madness**

Myths about the side effects of hyperspace travel are as old as the technology itself. Misconceptions can be found all across the holonet— some suggest that frequent hyperspace travel can alter the rate at which a pilot ages, or cause genetic mutations in travelers. The most popular urban legend surrounding hyperspace travel is the idea of "hyperspace madness."

It has long been believed that staring at the swirling blue corridor of hyperspace can slowly drive someone insane. Like most legends, this has a basis in reality. Observing the hyperspace tunnel can cause headaches and motion sickness, which is why most vessels have their viewports dimmed during hyperspace voyages. However, there is no evidence suggesting that staring into hyperspace will drive someone to insanity. Please note: any pills or supplements claiming to stave off the effects of "hyperspace madness" have no actual medical use, and have not been approved by the Health Services Agency of the Galactic Republic.


	2. Archive Entries: I-Z

**Ion Weapons**

Standard blaster bolts are ineffective against deflector shields and heavily armored electrical components, and are likely to completely obliterate any electronics that are lightly armored. When the goal is to disable rather than destroy, ion fire is the tool for the job. Everything from the handheld ion neutralizer to the massive ion cannons designed for planetary defense operate on the same principle.

Though ion weapons appear to fall into the directed-energy class, they do not simply fire bolts of electricity. Rather, conductor coils within the weapon energize an electrically conductive "slug" of ferromagnetic fluid. Each slug is roughly spherical, and holds its shape—and its electrical charge—while in flight. When it strikes a target, the slug bursts, scattering energy across the target's surface. Ion weapons are relatively useless against infantry, as the plastic synthetic used in ablative plate armor renders the electrified slugs inert.

Attempts have been made to create dual-purpose weapons that could function as both a blaster and an ion gun. To date, this has proven too expensive to implement in any consumer products, and has seen only limited use in the military and security industries. The amount of energy required to "ionize" a laser cannon's bolts is far too great to be practically achievable on a large scale.

* * *

 **Jira Grotto Bazaar**

One of many "open-air" markets found in the Had Abbadon tunnels, Jira Grotto is home to businesses of all sizes and descriptions. If one desires, they can spend an afternoon eating delicious food, collecting artwork for their home, and selecting just the right blaster for personal defense, and cap it all off by adopting a pet. Locals and offworlders alike visit the bazaar, though the latter are far easier to part from their money.

For a population that's by necessity spread thin and far between, marketplaces such as Jira Grotto are profound examples of community in spite of physical obstacles. For this reason, private residences are only allowed along the perimeter; the center of the chamber is a commons, open to all. Sellers often travel on migratory routes between the bazaars, which means that there are well-established paths from market to market. Should an offworlder wish to travel Had Abbadon in the safest, most convenient way possible, it's recommended that they follow the money.

* * *

 **The Jedi Order**

The elusive Jedi operate as self-appointed "guardians of peace and justice" throughout the Galactic Republic. Little is known about the organization's structure, if it even has one. The only two ranks the public is aware of are "Knight" and "Master." It is assumed they are headquartered on Coruscant, though nobody has been able to prove this.

Jedi are conflict-resolvers. Some Jedi will arise during battles or negotiations the Republic is involved in, assisting in solving the problem. Other Jedi appear to be unaffiliated with the Republic, and instead solve local conflicts on smaller worlds. Depending on the individual Jedi, this conflict resolution may take the form of peaceful negotiation, or it may involve the deadly lightsaber, a signature weapon of the Order.

Just as the _modus operandi_ of individual Jedi differ, so does public opinion on the Order as a whole. Some see the Jedi as infallible paragons of virtue and justice. Others cannot stand the idea that an organization such as the Jedi Order goes unchecked by the laws of the Republic. Outside Republic space, the Jedi are seen as little more than a myth. Any tales about them are simply regarded as exaggerations of acts performed by Republic Special Forces.

* * *

 **Junkfort Station**

Located in the Outer Rim at a junction between hyperspace lanes, Junkfort Station is a neighbor to, among others, the planets Oseon and Boonta. Living up to its name, it's inhabited by scrappers, pirates, criminals, and all manner of other sentient detritus. Due to its position along hyperspace routes, it is home to a plethora of species and cultures.

The station functions as a trade and leisure hub for pilots passing through the hyperlane intersection. Freighter pilots may stop off at the station to stretch their legs, enjoy food or drink from all across the galaxy, or spend the night in one of the station's handful of seedy hotels. Occasionally, these stops end up becoming inadvertently long-term ones. Many new pilots agree to haul cargo to the Outer Rim without setting up a job that allows them to return to the Core. This is the most common way to find oneself living on Junkfort Station.

The chief aim of those living on Junkfort is to _not_ live on Junkfort. Escaping is not easy, however, especially if one was unlucky enough to grow up there. Scrounger and bandit collectives have reason to keep their younger operatives right where they are, their quick fingers and desperate circumstances serving nicely to help them capture greater prizes. Those who do manage to escape usually end up on the surrounding planets; a native-born Junkforter managing to make it more than a few systems away is almost unheard of.

* * *

 **Korriban**

The planet of Korriban, assumed to be located in the Outer Rim, is an unsettled world that has been lost to time. Though many ancient documents reference the planet by name, the hyperspace route to its system was unknown for centuries. In 1138, the University of Theed sent an expedition to the planet. A faculty member claimed to have come into possession of an ancient data packet containing travel directions to the lost planet.

This trip—the only known research expedition to Korriban in recent history—ended in disaster. The team never returned, and cryptic transmissions from their research site hint at a horrible fate. Small chunks of data were sent back to Naboo before the team met their end, but there is nowhere near enough information to paint a clear picture of the state of the planet Korriban.

TRAVEL ADVISORY: A popular holonet scam provides recipients with the supposed coordinates to Korriban, promising untold riches of lost treasure upon arrival. Do not respond to these messages, and do not under any circumstances travel to the coordinates provided. Report any instance of this scam message to NetSec officials immediately.

* * *

 _ **Leviathan-**_ **class Assault Cruiser**

The _Charybdis,_ flagship of the Confederacy and presumed base of operations for a mysterious Confederate warlord, is a unique design known as the _Leviathan_ -class. It is shorter in length than most warships, though it shares the typical "bridge tower" design found in the Star Destroyers of the Republic. Its defining characteristic is its split hull, which separates into distinct dorsal and ventral structures about halfway down the length of the vessel. There was a rumor among Republic Defense Force pilots that between the two halves of the ship's massive maw sits an unspeakably powerful laser cannon, but this was recently debunked.

An independent shipyard in the Outer Rim was hired by the Confederacy to construct the _Charybdis_. When the yard had completed the job, the _Charybdis_ turned its guns on the facility and completely destroyed it. Thus, no records exist pertaining to the _Charybdis'_ construction or design. All statistics about its armaments are merely estimates compiled from sightings of the ship by Republic reconnaissance teams.

Despite its relatively small size compared to most capital ships, the _Charybdis_ is well armed and armored, capable of handing military operations on its own. It carries at least four fighter squadrons and a healthy complement of turbolaser batteries and ion cannons. Tractor beam projectors have been spotted on the hull of the vessel, though the commanding officer of the _Charybdis_ is not known for taking prisoners alive.

* * *

 **Lightsaber**

The signature weapon of the Jedi Order, this "laser sword" is feared by the common soldier. In the hands of a skilled Jedi it can be used to deflect blaster bolts, and its searing-hot blade can effortlessly cut through flesh and armor alike. The number of lightsabers seems to correspond to the number of Jedi. They are not mass-produced; each one that has fallen into the hands of someone outside the Order is unique in design.

On very rare occasions, a lightsaber will show up on the black market commanding a price high enough to buy a large warship. These weapons most often end up in the hands of eccentric collectors, but there are recorded instances of assassins and bounty hunters buying black market lightsabers and attempting to use them. As one might expect, an untrained individual using a lightsaber has disastrous results.

* * *

 **Memory Lichen**

Found only on the world of Had Abbadon, the bioluminescent "memory lichen" thrives in the cavern networks that have been abandoned by intelligent life. Through the use of electrical impulses, the lichen is capable of absorbing and playing back the memories of sentient species that touch it. If a lichen is "storing" memory, it will glow a cool blue color. "Empty" lichens emit no light at all.

The memory transfer method is not perfect. The only person capable of understanding a memory playback completely is the one who planted it in the lichen to begin with. Attempting to view the memory of another is useless; it simply results in a wild hallucination. Bits and pieces of the original memory may be understood correctly, but for the most part the user will see nonsense. Nevertheless, a local culture has arisen around viewing and interpreting the memories of others via the lichens. For some on Had Abbadon, venturing deep into an old cave and receiving the memories of a long-dead settlement is a religious experience.

The lichen quickly perishes if removed from Had Abbadon, due to its reliance on an unknown material found within the planet's rock and soil. The lichen's ability to store memory for long periods of time directly correlates to how big of a "network" it is attached to. Small patches of the lichen found in Had Abbadon's cities can only store memories for a handful of weeks before resetting back to their "empty" state. The massive tendrils of memory lichen found deep within the abandoned caverns have stored the same memories for hundreds of years.

* * *

 **Planetary Shield**

A large-scale version of the deflector shield technology found in starships can be used to protect a planet from orbital bombardment or unauthorized landing. These planetary shields are prohibitively expensive, and are usually found only on wealthy and populous worlds.

Though shields protect a planet from being fired on from orbit, they also prevent surface-to-space weapons from being useful; the protection offered by a shield works in both directions. To counter this, Coruscant—the most notable shielded planet—utilizes several orbiting defense stations and ships to deal with potential attacks.

Travel through a planetary shield is achieved through the use of "shield gates," which open small gaps in the shield to allow vessels to pass through. There are hundreds of shield gates around Coruscant, each staffed by a team of both droids and sentient traffic controllers. Though the departure and arrival process is extremely efficient, this does not stop impatient travelers from occasionally trying to jump the queue and pass through a shield gate out of turn. This is highly illegal, and can result in harsh fines and ship impounding.

* * *

 **Primary Engine Thrust Vectoring**

Starships are generally steered by adjusting thrust ratios among a series of rear-facing engines. More advanced maneuvers require thrust to be directed toward the bow or sides of a starship. This is usually done with smaller, secondary thrusters mounted along a ship's hull. "Primary engine thrust vectoring" (PETV) is the aerospace industry term for sending thrust in multiple directions at once using only a ship's main engines.

This is not a stock feature on a majority of starships. Space superiority fighters used by military forces are one notable exception, as thrust vectoring is a necessary component of dogfighting. The ability to vector the primary engines can be added to some vessels, though the aftermarket retrofit is often prohibitively expensive. Aerospace traffic control laws prohibit performing thrust vectoring maneuvers in civilized space, such as that around and in the atmosphere of populated planets.

WARNING: It is a common misconception among pilots that PETV can be "hotwired" into any standard starship engine on the fly, causing thrust to be directed out the forward engine intake. Under no circumstances should this supposed hotwire be attempted mid flight. Likelihood of catastrophic engine failure is extremely high.

* * *

 **Republic Credits**

Intergalactic trade has inevitably given rise to an intergalactic currency. The Republic Standard Credit first came into use several thousand years ago on Coruscant. Before its inception, each planet with a unified government had its own currency. As needed, one world's currency was simply exchanged for another at one of several hundred businesses in Coruscant's financial district.

These exchange companies eventually formed a Galactic Currency Exchange, and began issuing vouchers that were valued against the currency of other worlds. As a measure of expediency, traders began swapping these vouchers instead of using actual money. Once the Republic government caught wind of this, they passed a law integrating the currency exchange into the government and forming an official Bank of the Galactic Republic. The Republic Standard Credit was born.

Most transactions are handled electronically, although credit coins are commonplace for small purchases and transactions that an individual may not want to be tracked. Many worlds outside Republic space still accept credits as payment on some level, despite having their own currencies. If an individual winds up stuck on a non-Republic world with only credits in hand, the money can often be unofficially swapped for the local currency at a shipping terminal, albeit for a very unfavorable exchange rate.

* * *

 **Republic Defense Force**

For much of the Republic's early history, the galaxy-spanning government kept no unified military force. The task of defense fell to individual planets and systems. This was, as the representatives of smaller worlds and colonies often pointed out, unfairly balanced in favor of larger and wealthier worlds. This changed with the passage of the Unified Defense Initiative Act. The Defense Initiative eventually became known as the Defense Force, and the modern Republic military was born.

Every Republic world contributes proportionally to a shared pool of soldiers, ships, and munitions. For example, the Star Destroyer _Coelacanth,_ though purchased by the Alderaanian Royal Navy, is maintained and operated by the Republic Defense Force. The Senate Defense Committee directs the RDF, though most day-to-day decisions are made by high-ranking members at RDF headquarters, leaving the Defense Committee members time to do other work in the Senate. Soldiers do not enlist directly with the RDF, but rather with their home planet. RDF headquarters are located on Coruscant, and staffed by Defense Force members from all across the galaxy.

Republic member worlds are only required to provide armaments and troops to the Defense Force until a galactic quota has been met. Once the quota has been filled, further participation by any planet is entirely voluntary. However, general consensus is that this quota is not enough of a military force to truly defend the Republic in a full-scale war.

* * *

 **The Ruusan Reformation**

Over one thousand years ago, the Republic teetered on the brink of war. Nearly fifty star systems had declared their desire to leave the Republic, and had made it clear that they were willing to fight for their independence. The Senate was in disarray, and in the name of being able to act quickly in an emergency, the Supreme Chancellor was granted special executive wartime powers.

Through a series of treaties, the secession conflicts were resolved without bloodshed, but the Chancellor refused to give up his powers, citing the possibility that tensions may resurface. Most saw this as harmless; he kept the executive powers in his back pocket, but never actually used them more than once. The one use, however, was seen as an egregious breach of trust and tradition: before his retirement, the Chancellor appointed his son to serve as his successor.

This triggered a new wave of planets declaring independence from the Republic. They did not wish to live under the rule of what now seemed to be a monarchy. Fortunately, one senator acted swiftly in the face of this constitutional crisis.

1152 years ago, on what is now celebrated as Reformation Day, Senator Tyria Ruusan and a coalition of her colleagues stormed into the offices of the Chancellor, held the young man at gunpoint, and demanded he resign. This entire coalition of senators served together as Acting Chancellor until an election could be held. When the whole Senate gathered together to vote for the new Chancellor, Senator Ruusan was unanimously selected. As her first act in office, she surrendered the emergency powers that had belonged to her predecessors. Today, Reformation Day is celebrated as a holiday marking a rebirth of the Republic, and the First Reformation Day is the epoch of the current era in the Galactic Standard Calendar.

* * *

 **Scimitar**

The personal starship of the Confederate warlord does not match any known makes or models in the Galactic Republic database. This one-of-a-kind vessel was produced by an unknown shipyard at an unknown date and time for an unknown sum of credits.

Republic Intelligence reports indicate the ship is crewed only by droids and the warlord himself. It appears to possess a form of stealth technology. Though it is impossible to completely cloak a ship from enemy sensors, the _Scimitar_ is capable of "blurring" its heat signature. In theory, this would make weapons lock-on extremely difficult. Tracking the _Scimitar_ when it is among a larger fleet—such as during a space battle—is likely almost impossible.

Attempts to discern the vessel's origin in the hopes of reproducing it for use by Republic Special Forces have thus far been unsuccessful. Schematics for a ship of similar design were recovered by archaeologists several years ago on the planet Korriban. The ship depicted in them was similar in shape to the _Scimitar,_ but the schematics were far too ancient to be of any use to a modern military.

* * *

 **Security Spikes**

In today's security industry, entirely mechanical locks are almost unheard of. The rise of the electronic lock was the downfall of the practice of lockpicking, and for several decades an electronic lock was seen as the ultimate security measure. This changed with the invention of the security spike, a device designed to overload the circuits of an electronic locking system.

When inserted into an electronic lock, a security spike attempts to apply excessive voltage to the lock's circuits and short it out. When the lock reboots, the spike will set a new password during a short vulnerability window in the lock's startup phase. This allows the user access to whatever the lock was protecting. Most security spikes are single-use. In the interest of keeping them cheap and compact, they are only manufactured with enough battery power to short a lock out once.

The advent of more complex security spikes has spurred the creation of more complicated locks. These locks often contain "dummy circuits" designed to fool the security spike into shorting out electronic components that serve no function. The highest-end security spikes are not disposable, but instead contain single-use power supply charges. This allows the user to tweak the spike's settings to fit each individual lock and simply swap in a new charge after each use.

* * *

 **Shield Generator**

Before space combat, there were shield generators. The earliest shields were crude particle deflectors, used to stop spaceborne debris from tearing through a ship's hull. Ray shields followed shortly thereafter, to prevent potentially lethal energy from affecting starships. Now, of course, both shields serve a more immediate use, preventing energy weapons and torpedoes from destroying ships in space combat.

Deflector shields vary in strength, ranging from the light models used on civilian craft to the heavy-duty generators used on the largest capital ships. All shields are weak to ion fire; if enough concentrated ion energy is lobbed against a shield, it will be rendered useless. The same is true of other weapons of war; if a shield is struck enough, it will burn itself out, rendering the target defenseless.

* * *

 **Shock Baton**

Throughout the galaxy, melee weapons have fallen out of popular use. Blasters are the go-to for self defense and combat alike. However, there are still circumstances where a close-range weapon is preferred. They can be concealed easier than a blaster, and are useful in situations where making noise would be problematic. The galaxy's most popular melee weapon is the vibroblade; its larger cousin the vibrosword is often used by pirate gangs in the Outer Rim.

For those looking for a non-lethal melee sidearm, the shock baton is the obvious choice. Originally developed for law enforcement and riot control squads, these collapsible weapons emit electrical energy capable of wreaking havoc on the muscular systems of most sentient beings.

Shock batons are technically not available for civilian purchase, since the power cell in a shock baton can easily be modified to deliver a lethal jolt of electricity. However, tech-savvy individuals have been able to build their own shock weapons which are a close approximation of the ones carried by police. The collapsible nature of the shock baton makes it easy to conceal; these mechanics and tinkerers will often disguise the weapon as part of their toolkit.

* * *

 **Sigma-3 Arterius Personal Transport Shuttle**

The Sigma-3 Arterius is a small personal transport craft manufactured by Cygnus Spaceworks for the Republic Defense Force. The craft is unarmed and lacks a defensive deflector shield, but is lined with ablative armor plating to protect against attacks from energy weapons. It is equipped with a standard Class 2 hyperdrive. A civilian version with an inferior navicomputer and a slower hyperdrive is also available for purchase.

The ship is most commonly used for transporting Republic officers between ships or on short hyperspace hops between friendly systems. Its lack of shields and armaments make it light and nimble, but it is not intended for use in hostile territory without a starfighter escort. The standard configuration seats a pilot and one passenger—or an optional co-pilot—in the front row, and two passengers in the rear. A popular aftermarket modification sees the rear row of seats removed, usually to allow the vessel to store more cargo.

The Sigma-3's unique gull-wing doors allow for easy access to the cabin through large openings. Upon landing, the swept wings of the vessel move into a forward position and function as boarding ramps to the port and starboard doors. Due to the lack of space within the cabin, a passenger must enter from the side of the ship they wish to sit on. When the ship takes off, the wings sweep back into their flight configuration.

* * *

 **Siratech Personal Domestic Robot Model Eight**

Siratech Droidworks is a company responsible for the production of several domestic assistance droids, from android butlers to self-driving vacuum cleaners. The "SPDR M-8," or "spider mate," was a compact domestic droid designed for use in tight environments such as efficiency apartments or starship cabins. "Spider mates" were intended to service one individual, and their personality profiles imprinted on their owners upon initial activation. The model was renowned for its extreme utility and durability.

The low-profile disc-shaped body allowed the droid to fit into tight spaces for storage or navigation, and it possessed several appendages that allowed it to climb all manner of surfaces and grasp common household objects while moving. The droid was waterproof and dustproof, and its shell was rumored to be capable of withstanding small arms fire. It was also extremely power efficient, lasting months on a single cycle of its rechargeable cell.

Siratech discontinued the SPDR M-8 in 1146 after a barrage of negative press due to a series of high-profile criminal acts committed with the droids. Tech-savvy owners had modified the insides of a SPDR M-8 with electronic interference and security countermeasure suites. The criminals then sent the droid into the ductwork of a bank and shut down the security system, allowing them to rob it to the tune of several million credits. In the aftermath, the Republic worked with Siratech to implement a buyback program of the droids. Most owners complied, but there are still some "spider mates" left in the wild, mostly in the Outer Rim. Due to the model's personality imprinting function, a SPDR M-8 will only follow the orders of its original owner. The secondhand purchase market for these droids is practically nonexistent.

* * *

 **The Sith**

Widely regarded as nothing more than a bedtime story of "evil Jedi" meant to scare children, the tales of the Sith have been passed down around campfires for generations. They are said to wear black cloaks and carry blood-red lightsabers. Some stories even speak of them choking people with their minds. Those who have no goodwill towards the Jedi Order are quick to point out that any so-called "good Jedi" is just as capable of doing this.

Any evidence of a currently existing group meant to antagonize the Jedi Order is basically nonexistent. Archaeological finds on the planet Korriban indicate there was once a splinter faction of Jedi bent on galactic domination, but official Republic records insist that this group was wiped out thousands of years ago.

* * *

 **Slugthrower**

Although energy weapons are the primary type of firearm in the galaxy, more primitive "slugthrower" weapons still see wide use, particularly in less settled regions. These projectile weapons are simpler, more reliable, and cheaper than blasters.

The two main categories of slugthrowers are cyclers and scatterguns. Cyclers file a single projectile with each pull of the trigger, and cycler rifles are a common armament for big-game hunters and sharpshooters. Slugthrowers fire a "spray" of metal pellets. Though not effective at long range, they are extremely deadly in close quarters.

Slugthrower weapons are used in military applications as a countermeasure to deflector shields, as the metal projectiles can pass right through the energy barriers. Bounty hunters, mercenaries, and pirates with a taste for violence and a desire to cause literal bloodshed have also been known to equip themselves with slugthrowers.

* * *

 **Swoop Bike**

Planetary ground transportation is available in a variety of forms. For comfort and safety, there are landspeeders. For high speed open-air travel, there are speeder bikes. For the truly death-defying adrenaline junkies, there are swoop bikes.

Derisively referred to as "an engine with a seat" by those with no fondness for the mode of transportation; swoop bikes are the cheaper, faster, and more dangerous cousin of the speeder bike. They are a favorite of tinkerers and gearheads who enjoy modifying vehicles, and the highly dangerous sport of swoop racing is common on less settled worlds. Small-time criminals will often form "swoop gangs" and travel around on their souped-up vehicles intimidating anyone who gets in their way.

Flying a swoop at full throttle requires incredible reflexes. In the interest of self-preservation, most swoop bike owners will never truly push their vehicle to its full potential. Several years ago, a piece of legislation attempted to mandate that kinetic deflector shields be installed on all new swoop bikes as a safety measure. This was largely ineffective. Most swoop bikes on the market were built before the legislation was passed, and are therefore exempt from the rule. Swoop enthusiasts insist these kinetic deflectors alter the aerodynamics of a bike and ruin the driving experience. Anyone who purchases a brand new swoop is likely to disconnect and remove the shield generator before even powering up the bike for the first time.

* * *

 **Tactical Projection System**

Until recently, if a fleet admiral wished to direct a space battle they needed to preside over the conflict personally. The simple nature of long-distance communication made issuing large sets of orders impractical—the fastest form of communication is audio-only, and the need to relay orders between multiple communication officers hampers a commander's ability to get a full picture of the situation.

The Tactical Projection System seeks to remedy this problem. Developed internally by the Republic Defense Force, it consists of a suite of sensor packages and high-capacity tight beam holonet transmitters. This equipment is installed on one ship, nicknamed the "sender" by the development team. On the other end of the line, the "receiver" ship is outfitted with special holoprojectors on the bridge and a set of equally high-capacity holonet receivers. Once properly set up, the commanding officer of the receiver ship is able to see a miniature projection of the entire battlefield, and direct the sender ship with tactical orders in nearly real-time.

The system is not perfect, however. It requires an immense amount of bandwidth, and its data stream is easily detected by electronic countermeasures, which essentially paints a target on the back of the sender ship. A second revision of the system, which allows the role of sender to be passed between multiple ships in a fleet, is currently in production.

* * *

 **Tantalus SYS-P5 Yacht**

Tantalus Replica Shipyards was a small corporation on the Outer Rim world of Ord Radama known for producing knockoffs of more famous vessels. Their final creation, the SYS-P5 Yacht, "pays homage" to the J-type 327 Nubian Royal Starship. Production was halted when the Theed Palace Space Vessel Engineering Corps filed a copyright strike claiming that, despite the knockoff's smaller size and slightly different shape, it was clearly infringing on the patented designs of the J-type 327.

The shipyard claimed that they were exempt from such copyright laws, as they did business exclusively on a non-member world of the Galactic Republic. However, during the months-long court proceedings, Ord Radama joined the Republic, and this changed the direction of the case considerably. In the aftermath of the lawsuit the shipyard was forced to cease production of the SYS-P5, closing its doors only a few months later. No more than a dozen of the ships were ever completed, and fewer still exist today, as the model was notoriously unreliable.

Electrical failures, poorly attached interior paneling, a propensity for hull rusting, imbalanced landing legs, and an inconsistent artificial gravity generator are just a few of the issues known to plague the vessel. Its rarity has done nothing to drive up its price; when the few existing ships do change hands, a shockingly low sum of credits is traded as well. Whether buying one is actually a good deal is another matter entirely.

* * *

 **Turbolift**

The turbolift, also referred to as an elevator or lift, is a vessel designed to transport cargo and passengers between floors of a building or decks of a ship. Unlike the entirely mechanical elevators of old, turbolifts move using a combination of mechanical parts and repulsorlift engines. Turbolifts on large ships or space stations can often move both horizontally and vertically. If a turbolift needs to move especially quickly, it can use the same inertial dampeners found in starfighter cockpits to make the ride more comfortable for passengers.

In case of an emergency where turbolifts are inoperable, it is required that an alternate mode of access between floors be available. This most often takes the form of staircases or ladders. In the mega-skyscrapers of planets such as Coruscant or Taris, stairs would be impractical for descending from the uppermost floors. Instead, these buildings often have an emergency network of escape pods to allow occupants to descend from the upper floors quickly in the event of a fire or power outage.

* * *

 **Typhoon Division**

Typhoon Division is the designation for Alderaan's most famous group of naval vessels, serving under the command of General Obi-Wan Kenobi and, in his absence, Commander Temeura Cody. It is lead by the Star Destroyer _Coelacanth,_ a _Victory-_ class vessel. Three _Consular-_ class frigates ( _Ferox, Icthys,_ and _Manta_ ) and two fighter squadrons (Sawshark, made up of Z-95 Headhunters; and Barracuda, consisting of ARC-170s) round out Typhoon Division.

The division is most notable for the number of conflicts they have resolved without firing a shot. Typhoon Division's penchant for avoiding bloodshed has earned their leader his famous nickname: "Kenobi the Negotiator." Despite this, when it does come down to fighting, the division is extremely effective. Sawshark Squadron has one of the highest kill counts in the Republic Defense Force, and Typhoon Division alone liberated the Ord Ibanna system from its brief occupation by pirates in 1146.

On their home planet of Alderaan, the Typhoons are regarded with near-celebrity status. They are referred to as "The Heroes of Alderaan" in recruitment materials for the Republic Defense Force, and Typhoon Division's emblem—the _Coelacanth_ and a pair of Z-95s flying in front of a cyclone of water—can be found hanging on the walls of university dormitories, offices, and shops all across Alderaan.

* * *

 **Vote of No Confidence**

The vote of no confidence is a procedure in the Galactic Senate used to unseat a Chancellor before the end of their term. The vote is fairly uncommon, as such open expression of distaste for the current leadership is seen as a costly expenditure of political capital.

When a senator calls for a vote of no confidence, enough senators must second the motion in order for the vote to be scheduled. As most votes of no confidence are started by fringe political parties, this is usually where the vote fails. Should a sufficient number of senators agree to hold the vote, it is scheduled for a special Senate session, where 75 percent of the Senate must agree to remove the Chancellor.

A successful vote of no confidence is almost unheard of. In recorded Republic history, it has only happened three times. If removed, the unseated Chancellor simply returns to their position as senator for their home planet, and a new Chancellor is elected a short time later. In practice, this often marks the end of the senator's career. No ousted Chancellor has ever won another Senate election.

* * *

 **XT-1580 Ultralight Performance Craft**

The XT-1580 Ultralight Performance Craft, often referred to as simply "The XT" by enthusiasts, was one of a handful of ships manufactured for the Upper-Atmosphere Racing Championship (U-ARC) on the gas giant Oovo. The craft combines the aerodynamic design often found in speeders with a sealed cockpit and engines that are capable of spaceflight, as both are necessities for racing in high atmosphere.

Racing in the U-ARC involved navigating a massive obstacle course high above Oovo. Floating rings, hazards, and course markers were held aloft by repulsorlifts. Ships were operated by teams of two: one to fly the craft, the other to sit beside the pilot, call out instructions, and assist in spotting upcoming obstacles or turns.

The U-ARC was shut down by law enforcement after a massive crash killed the occupants of all twelve vehicles on its most dangerous course. The rest of the league's drivers quietly sold off their vessels to ship enthusiasts. Most of these enthusiasts modified their new racing craft with hyperdrives so that they could transport them between planets without having to use a carrier ship. A handful are still raced illegally in the Outer Rim, but most owners simply fly theirs for fun.

Though the vessels are incredibly nimble, they are extremely challenging to fly. The added weight of a hyperdrive tends to throw off the carefully-tuned balance of the formerly "ultralight" racing vehicle. A pilot who has not practiced in a simulator is likely to crash an XT the first time they fly one.

* * *

 **Z-95 Headhunter**

The Z-95 Headhunter is a multipurpose starfighter jointly produced by Incom Corporation and Sublight Products. Its balance of durability, reliability, and ease of repair make it a favorite of both the Republic Defense Force and private organizations.

The fighter is equipped with four sublight engines, and a laser cannon is mounted at the end of each of its two wings. Concussion missile tubes are integrated into the lengthy body of the starfighter. The craft is lightly armored; defense is instead provided by a pair of kinetic-energy deflector shield generators.

The stock Z-95 is not equipped with a hyperdrive. However, the majority of Z-95s ordered for the Republic Defense Force do have hyperdrives installed. This was done in the interest of allowing Z-95 squadrons to run long-range missions on their own, without the need of a carrier ship. Hyperdrive installation is also a popular aftermarket modification for civilian owners of the starfighter.


End file.
